German defence minister Pistorius, on U.S. global posture review: We talked about a coordinated approach in case the U.S. draws down troops from Europe

German defence minister Pistorius, on U.S. global posture review: We talked about a coordinated approach in case the U.S. draws down troops from Europe

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is set to travel to Washington on Monday to meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The primary objective of their meeting is to gain clarity on several key issues related to U.S. arms supplies to Ukraine, missile deployment plans, and the future of U.S. troop levels in Europe [1].

Pistorius is likely to receive a warm reception as Europe's biggest economy has recently emerged as a key player in NATO's largest military build-up since the Cold War. Germany has been lagging behind in defense spending for decades, but it has now loosened its constitutional debt brake to meet NATO's new core military spending target of 3.5% of national output by 2029. This move will boost German defense spending to 162 billion euros ($189 billion) in 2029 from 95 billion euros in the draft budget for 2025 [1][2].

One of the critical topics on the agenda is Germany's offer to pay for American Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine. Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly announced this proposal weeks ago after private discussions with Washington failed to elicit a response. On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he will send Patriot missiles to Ukraine, with the European Union set to reimburse the United States for their cost [1][2][3].

Pistorius will also seek clarity on whether Washington remains committed to temporarily deploying long-range missiles to Germany from 2026, as agreed under former President Joe Biden. The deployment would include systems such as Tomahawk cruise missiles with a range of 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles) and the developmental hypersonic weapon Dark Eagle with a range of around 3,000 kilometers [1][2][3].

Another key issue to be discussed is an ongoing review of the U.S. force posture worldwide, which could lead to troop cuts in Europe. Around 80,000 U.S. soldiers serve in Europe, including some 40,000 in Germany. European allies are urging Washington to ensure any drawdown is coordinated to prevent capability gaps that might leave NATO members vulnerable to Russian aggression [1][2][3].

References:

[1] https://stratnewsglobal.com/europe/germany/german-minister-to-press-hegseth-for-clarity-on-arms-supplies-missile-deployment/
[2] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/german-minister-press-hegseth-arms-050306810.html
[3] https://www.aol.com/news/german-minister-press-hegseth-arms-050306209.html